Dental chair component



Nov. 10, 1964 K. c. KERR DENTAL CHAIR COMPONENT Filed Jan. 14, 1963 INVEN TOR. KENNETH c. KERR iwwmw ATTORNEY United States Patent "ice H DENTAL CHAIR COMPONENT Kenneth C. Kerr, 1222 S. Riverside, Medford, Oreg. Fiied Jan. 14, 1963, Ser. No. 251,130 2 Claims. (Cl. 297391) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in dental chair components and more particularly is concerned with an improved dental chair component adapted for supporting the back and head of a patient.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a dental chair component which provides comfortable and positive support for the head and back of a patient in a lay-down position.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a dental chair component which assists in supporting a patient in a reclining or completely horizontal position in a preferred manner of access for the dentist in a sitting position of the latter.

Another object is to provide a dental chair component which is readily adaptable for mounting on existing dental chairs.

Still another object is to provide a dental chair component of the type described which is simple in construction and inexpensive to manufacture.

Further objects are to provide a head rest for a dental chair which has novel construction facilitating comfort to the patient and also stabilizing the patients head against side turning; and to provide a head rest of the type described having an improved arrangement of sound emitting means therein.

The invention will be better understood and additional objects will become apparent from the following specification and claims, considered together with the accompanying drawings, wherein the numerals of reference indicate like parts and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view of a dental chair employing the present component and showing in broken lines a patient supported thereby and a dentist in working position;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the present component;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view thereof; and

FIGURE 4 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 44 of FIGURE 2 and showing in particular internal construction of the head rest portion.

Referring now in particular to the drawings the component 'of the present invention is designated generally by the numeral 1t? and is utilized with a dental chair of the type employing a base 12 on which is supported a seat 14 and arm rests 16. Pivotally connected to the base 12 are back rest supporting brackets 18 which are pivotally adjustable to various positions relative to the base, comprising upright and horizontal positions or any position therebetween. Structural details for adjusting the back rest supporting brackets 18 are not shown since such structure is conventional.

The present component is intended for use primarily in conditions wherein the patient assumes a lying down position and the dentist assumes a seated position while working thereon, as illustrated in FIGURE 1. It is to be understood however that the present component in its design also functions efficiently as a back and head support for the patient in a sitting position.

The component comprises generally a head rest 22 and a back rest 24. Back rest 24 is attached to the brackets 18 of the dental chair and the head rest 22 projects integrally from such back rest. For this purpose the component 1%) employs a rigid, full-length frame element 28 such as plywood, hard plastic, or the like which in plan assumes substantially the shape shown in FIGURE 2. More particularly, the back rest is widened at its upper end 36 for providing a full width support 3,1565% Patented Nov. 10, 1964 for the patients shoulder, and furthermore, as also seen in FIGURE 3, this widened portion 30 has thickened side portions 34 which engage the shoulder blades of the patient. These thickened portions, as well as the central portion of the back rest, are tapered or in general are curved toward the frame element of the back rest as indicated at 36 to form a thinned portion at the upper end of the back rest.

The head rest 22 in plan has narrowed end portions 38 and a slightly widened intermediate portion 40. The head rest 22 in general and particularly its narrowed end which joins with the back rest portion 24 is substantially narrower than the latter to form a pocket 42 on each side. This pocket arrangement is important in that with the patient supported on the component 10 in a lyingdown position the dentist can position himself slightly sidewise so that his hip fits in a pocket 35 and therefore it is possible for him to position himself in a comfortable and efiicient working position close to and over the patient.

As best seen in FIGURE 4 the frame element 28 in the back rest portion has a slight transverse curvature for comfort to the patient and has suitable upholstery 43 comprising soft cushion material such as sponge rubber and a covering such as leather or plastic sheeting.

Forming an integral part of the upper end of the frame element 28, i.e., that portion which leads into the head rest 22, are projecting, auxiliary frame elements 44. These frame elements assume a curved configuration, as seen in the transverse section of FIGURE 4, and when viewed longitudinally, FIGURE 3, the upper edge 46 is generally arcuate, leading from a point at substantially the upper end of the head rest but terminating short of the lower end thereof. The head rest has upholstery 43 and in completed form comprises a central recess 49 defined by side wing portions 50 formed by the auxiliary frame elements 44. The lower end of the upholstered head rest, i.e., the end adjacent the upper end of the back rest, is of a thickness similar to the end thickness of the tapered portions 36 of the back rest, the tapered portion 36 leading angularly into the upholstered surface of the head rest portion to form a slight depression or recess 52 between the head rest and back rest.

The wings 59 of the head rest form a head receiving pocket therebetween and as seen in FIGURE 4 the upholstery B3 is thickened at the inner portions on the sides to provide a comfortable support for the patients head as well as to embed the head somewhat and anchor it against free side turning.

Mounted in each of the auxiliary frame elements 44 are speakers 54 which are connected to a suitable sound system, such as a stereo system. The cushion material of upholstery 48 is provided with apertures 56 arranged such that they are in the approximate area of the patients ears. The covering material of the upholstery 48 has perforations 58 at the apertures 56, FIGURE 2, which permit transmission of sound through such cover. Speakers 54 are located under the thickest portion of the upholstery 48 and thus receive adequate protection therefrom.

In accordance with the principles of the present invention, structure is provided wherein a patient is comfortably supported in a lay-down position and the dentist, through the medium of the novel construction of the present component, can seat himself comfortably for work on the patient. That is, the dentist can fit his body, essentially his one hip which is disposed on the dental chair side, into the adjacent pocket 42 and thereby position himself closely to the patient. The general rounded contour of the back surface of the head rest allows the dentist'to cradle the head rest in his lap. This makes for a comfortable and efficient working position for the dentist.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herein shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A dental chair component including in combination a back rest and head rest each having patient engaging front surfaces, said head rest being integrated with said back rest and extending in an immovable, substantially straight line relation from the upper end of the back rest, said back rest being transversely curved and having forward projections in its front surface at its upper end adjacent the sides adapted for engagement by the shoulder blade portions of a patient, said head rest being of lesser lateral dimension than said back rest to form an area of access for a person working on the patient and being of a length sufiicient to support the head and neck of the patient, said head rest having a pair of forwardly projecting side wing portions forming a longitudinal central recess for receiving the patients head and neck.

2. The dental chair component of claim 1 wherein the lower end of said head rest and the upper end of said back rest at the longitudinal central portion thereof are each tapered inwardly and meet in a common plane to form a recess adapted to receive the upper back portion of a patient.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,452,103 Conradt et al. Oct. 26, 1948 3,017,221 Emery Jan. 16, 1962 3,071,412 Meade Jan. 1, 1963 FOREIGN PATENTS 754,677 Great Britain Aug. 8, 1956 

1. A DENTAL CHAIR COMPONENT INCLUDING IN COMBINATION A BACK REST AND HEAD REST EACH HAVING PATIENT ENGAGING FRONT SURFACES, SAID HEAD REST BEING INTEGRATED WITH SAID BACK REST AND EXTENDING IN AN IMMOVABLE, SUBSTANTIALLY STRAIGHT LINE RELATION FROM THE UPPER END OF THE BACK REST, SAID BACK REST BEING TRANSVERSELY CURVED AND HAVING FORWARD PROJECTIONS IN ITS FRONT SURFACE AT ITS UPPER END ADJACENT THE SIDES ADAPTED FOR ENGAGEMENT BY THE SHOULDER BLADE PORTIONS OF A PATIENT, SAID HEAD REST BEING OF LESSER LATERAL DIMENSION THAN SAID BACK REST TO FORM AN AREA OF ACCESS FOR A PERSON WORKING ON THE PATIENT AND BEING OF A LENGTH SUFFICIENT TO SUPPORT THE HEAD AND NECK OF THE PATIENT, SAID HEAD REST HAVING A PAIR OF FORWARDLY PROJECTING SIDE WING PORTIONS FORMING A LONGITUDINAL CENTRAL RECESS FOR RECEIVING THE PATIENT''S HEAD AND NECK. 